Losing weight may help resolve erectile dysfunction in obese men, according to research presented today at the 103rd Annual
Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA).

The Study

In this study, 95 patients undergoing gastric
bypass surgery for weight loss completed the Brief Sexual Inventory
(BSI) pre- and post-operatively. On average, BSI scores improved in all
categories, including sexual drive, erectile function ejaculatory
function, problem assessment and sexual satisfaction. The amount of
weight lost predicted the degree of improvement in all areas of the
survey. Results were then compared to data from the Olmstead County
Study of Urinary Health Status Survey, a community-based prospective
study often used as a baseline for study comparison. After an average
of 67 percent weight loss post-bypass, BSI scores were comparable to
patients in the Olmstead Study.

About Gastric Bypass Surgery

Gastric bypass surgery, a
procedure that reduces the body’s caloric intake, can be used to induce
significant weight loss in the obese. Gastric bypass surgery makes the stomach smaller and allows food to
bypass part of the small intestine. This results in the patient feeling full more quickly than when
the stomach was its original size. This reduces the amount of food eaten
and less calories consumed. Bypassing part of the intestine also results in
fewer calories being absorbed. This leads to weight loss. The most common gastric bypass surgery is a Roux-en-Y gastric
bypass.

Most people who have gastric bypass surgery quickly begin to lose
weight and continue to lose weight for up to 12 months. One study noted that
people lost about one-third of their excess weight (the weight above what is
considered healthy) in 1 to 4 years.1 Some of the lost
weight may be regained.

The laparoscopic approach showed similar results, with 69% to 82%
of excess weight lost over 12 to 54 months.2

Conclusion

According to the researchers, “This study shows that
weight loss and other risk factors which are alleviated by weight loss
may be keys to restoring sexual function,” said Anthony Y. Smith, M.D.
“These results give men another reason to improve their health by
losing weight.”

Obesity is a condition
in which the natural energy reserve, stored in the fatty tissue of
humans and other mammals, exceeds healthy limits. It is commonly
defined as a body mass index (BMI) (weight divided by height squared) of 30 kg/m2 or higher.

Apart from the metabolic syndrome, obesity is also correlated
with a variety of other complications. For some of these complaints, it
has not been clearly established to what extent they are caused
directly by obesity itself, or have some other cause (such as limited
exercise) that causes obesity as well.